Unbeautiful
by glowriana
Summary: "I don't know the first time I felt unbeautiful, the day I chose not to eat" After being called fat by her friends, Katara is determined to lose weight. She will do all she can  without caring about the consequences. Three-shot.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

Auther's note:inspired by the song courage by superchick. This takes place right after Zuko joins the gang. Zuko and katara go to find her mothers killer a little earlier and there are still a couple of months before the comet.

Thanks to zukofan2005 for posting this!

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><p>The mornings at the western airtemple were never fun, especially for Katara.<p>

She had to wake up early every morning to make breakfast and then go and wake everyone up and then clean everyone's room and the list goes on...

She never minded helping her friends, as long as they didn't piss her off, she was happy to serve them.

She was also the one who started most of the topics to be discussed during mealtimes and today she chose the topic 'Betrayal' inspired by the one and only Exiled Fire Prince.

Said Fire Prince groaned and went to the other side of the fountain, taking his breakfast with him. It was his first breakfast with the gaang and he was already miserable.

"Nice going Sugarqueen.." Toph mumbled.

"Yeah Katara, that was so unlike you. Why'd you do that?" Aang asked.

"you may all trust him but I don't. And I don't want him to sit with us when we eat." She answered.

Aang sighed and quietly started to eat his food.

"Hey Katara, can I have some more rice?" Sokka asked.

"No Sokka. It's time you went on a diet." her answer caused everyone to laugh.

Since it was hard for Sokka to even miss a meal and dieting was just...impossible.

"I will if you will" he retorted.

"Excuse me?" Katara glared at him. Daring him to call her fat.

"Yeah you heard me. You should go on a diet because you have gained alot of weight. Haven't you noticed the tight clothing. I'm sorry Katara but your flat stomach is no longer flat."

Katara looked around nervously an finally manage to ask "That's not true right Aang? Toph?"

"Well..." Aang rubbed the back of his neck ." You have gotten a bit bigger than three months ago. Maybe it was just the stress of the invasion.

"The stress of invasion doesnt cause you to gain 20 pounds you know." Toph remarked.

"20 pounds! I've gained 20 pounds?" Katara yelled and dropped her bowl full of rice. Her cheeks were flushed red because of the embarrassment.

"Yeah Sugarqueen. You weight twice as much as twinkletoes you know. Maybe if you-" Katara left before she got a chance to continue.

"Oh well. " Toph shrugged and started finishing her food.

_'So I found out I've gained weight'_

Katara started her diary entry. Her tribeswomen always used to say that keeping a diary during a weight loss journey helped them alot.

_'I never noticed that. Until Toph mentioned it and I looked at myself in the mirror. Sokka was right, my flat stomach isn't flat anymore. I've decided to go on a diet.'_

She stopped to think for a while and decided to end right there since there was nothing else to add. She closed the diary and hid it under her pillow.

"Good thing I bought that diary. Even thought it seemed useless at that time." she said to herself.

She got out of her room and went to the fountain to waterbend a little. On her way she saw Toph and Sokka play 'Rock, paper, scissors' She couldn't help but feel jealous. Toph and Sokka ate like animals yet they were so skinny. Her stomach turned a little and she decided to skip waterbending and went straight back to her room. She couldn't help but let a few tears slip.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Zuko sitting on her bed, head in his hands. He looked up and started " Katara I..."

"Get out" she said. Her voice cracked a bit because of earlier and hoped that Zuko didn't notice.

"Are you crying?"

_Damn, he noticed_

"I said get out" she choked.

"I know you don't trust me but I'll do anything to prove my self to you." He sounded sincere.

"Please just go...I need to be alone.." She cried out. She just wanted to be alone. Zuko left quickly and Katara collapsed. She cried until she couldn't.

She felt stupid to feel so self conscience but she couldn't help it. She picked up a mirror which she had found in the temple two days ago and stared at her self. She noticed her doublechin and smiled to herself that soon it will be gone. She would feel beautiful again.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the next chapter!

The next morning came with lots of surprises. Especially for Katara. She had woken up to a knock on her door and she was surprised and a little bit angry to see Zuko there.  
>" Hey.." He said casually.<br>" yes?" Katara crossed her arms and gave him her trademark glare.

" I...I don't know if this will make you trust me -again but I...I know who killed your mother and I'm going to help you find him..."

-  
>( we all know what happened next...so I'll just skip...)<p>

It had been two days since they had returned from their 4-day trip. Katara had forgiven him and considered him a friend. Infact they had become quite close.

Everyone noticed a change in Katara. Not just a change in her attitude towards Zuko but also a physical change. She had lost about 10 pounds according to Toph.  
>Zuko, being the only one educated had told Katara that it wasn't normal to lose that much weight in such a short amount of time but katara always managed to change the subject.<br>She had even started to like Zuko. He had all the qualities that she liked. He was caring and kind. And he never judged her. Never teased her or anything.

" I'm worried about you.." Zuko said as they were sitting on the cliff one night. " I can tell that something is troubling you. Are you eating well?"  
>" yeah of course! You've seen me eat ."<br>" Did you eat dinner?"  
>"I wasn't feeling well. I had this really bad pain in my teeth." Another lie. All she said were lies. She knew that if anyone found out than she wouldn't be able to continue this<p>

"you know that appearances aren't everything right?"  
>She didn't answer.<br>"I don't think you're fat. You don't need to go on a diet."  
>"that's not what the others think.."<br>"I know."  
>They stayed in complete silence for a while until Katara got up , said goodnight , kissed his cheek and left. She failed to notice z<p>

-  
>As soon as Katara reached her room, she opened her diary and started writing.<p>

'Zuko suspects something. I feel horrible lying to him and the others. Toph told me that I've lost 12 pounds and I feel great. Well not really. I think I have developed this fear of food. I eat when they force me to and then I throw up when no one is looking. I'm tired. I feel empty and I can't help it. My hair have started to fall. Zuko says that it's because of my 'diet'. He says that I'm not eating enough . Little does he know that I'm not eating at all. I feel lethargic all the time. My clothes don't fit me. I feel depressed all the time. Im always faking a smile when I'm with my friends and so far everyone even Toph believe that I'm as happy as I was before.'

She put her pen down. Feeling a little low. She started crying...like she did everynight. She wanted to be normal like her friends. She wanted to feel good.  
>There was a knock on her door and she quickly wiped her tears and went to open the door. .<p>

"I heard crying. Are you okay" it was Zuko. He was the only one she got along with these days. Everyone else just made her feel bad with all their teasing.  
>" uh.. It's nothing..." she couldn't continue because she knew if she did, she would tell him everything.<p>

" Don't lie to me..." Zuko whispered.

And that's when the Dam broke. She couldnt hold back the tears and started crying. She felt Zuko hug her and she sobbed in his chest.

After a while, her crying stopped and she stepped out of his embraced and looked at her feet.  
>" Will you tell me what's wrong?" he asked.<br>She shooked her head. " can you please leave..." she whispered. Zuko nodded and left.

She felt terrible. He came to help her and she sent him away. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted him to hold her in her arms. It was not just a want but also a need. She needed him. She needed him to make her feel beautiful and to tell her that she didn't have to go on a diet and make her self suffer like this.  
>Wiping a few tears from her eyes, she made her way to her stuff, where she kept the mirror. She hated it. Hated the mirror. There it was, so much fat. Even after losing 12 pounds, her face was just as it was before she lost weight, even more rounder. She threw the mirror towards the nearest wall and sank to her knees.<p>

And she wept. 


End file.
